Body Positioning

[Mr Lefty]

Originally Posted by zortness

I don't want to get too sucked into this, but everyone has their own optimum riding position. Just for reference, here's pics of Hodgson and DiSalvo at the last LVMS track day, with Mark Bodecker (on the Jordan Suzuki) and myself thrown in for comparison.

More pics here:
http://orguss.smugmug.com/gallery/6565833_Yip5U

Hodgson needs to get his head down... he'll never be fast looking like that!

[DIMford]

I have the same problem as you AA. Ass off and body inline, not twisted.

And are those E-racings skins you have on your bike?

[Switch]

Originally Posted by DIMford

I have the same problem as you AA. Ass off and body inline, not twisted.

And are those E-racings skins you have on your bike?

As far as the plastics, I dunno what brand they are, they came with the bike. I bought some fiberglass and repaired them a little.

[pickle.of.doom]

I think being comfortable in your position, and having one less thing on your mind while going through a corner, will help you more than your body position being off 1 degree more or less either way will hurt you. Thats a reason why so many riders have so many different styles.

[was92v]

Originally Posted by pickle.of.doom

I think being comfortable in your position, and having one less thing on your mind while going through a corner, will help you more than your body position being off 1 degree more or less either way will hurt you. Thats a reason why so many riders have so many different styles.

I agree. The more comfortable you are will show up in lap times. Everyone has their own comfort position. Body position for me changes depending on the conditions such as turn radius & camber (ie;speed), how soon the next turn will arrive and the type of bike I'm on or how much leverage is needed to make it turn. But everyone is different and what works for one may not be what works for someone else. Having raced old Vintage bikes you really get a style show thru a turn. Some guys sit in line with the bike, some sit up high (ex flat trackers) and some
hang off. You may see all three styles, in line through the same turn, at the same speed. Being comfortable is faster regardless of how fast I LOOK, or not. A stopwatch is the judge.
This pic is on a 1969 BSA Rocket 3. 985cc, 460lb's and 19" wheels, It did not like to turn.

[ceo012384]

Originally Posted by pickle.of.doom

I think being comfortable in your position, and having one less thing on your mind while going through a corner, will help you more than your body position being off 1 degree more or less either way will hurt you. Thats a reason why so many riders have so many different styles.

That's a concisely put version of what I was trying to get at

Originally Posted by was92v

Body position for me changes depending on the conditions such as turn radius & camber (ie;speed), how soon the next turn will arrive and the type of bike I'm on or how much leverage is needed to make it turn.

That's another good point.... there is a slow-speed tight little chicane before the main straight at my home track... I definitely don't get my form as 'good' in the little right hand part of it as elsewhere on the track... reason being it's not worth it and there isn't time/space to do so.

[ROADandTRACK]

You can't tell anything from a pic.
Just ride the bike. And ONLY listen to people that are fast and are WATCHING you ride.
Not looking at pics.
Hope that helps.

[Ol' Man Rider]

I don't make it a habit of giving advice on the internet, but since you asked...here are my suggestions for improving your form. I can't promise it will make you any faster, but it made me faster.

Preface: This is always much easier to show someone when they are on their own bike on a rear stand. Body position in pic 1 and 2 are significantly different from 3 IMO. However, pic 3 helps explain some of the issues in 1 and 2.

1. Get your butt back. Not severe, but to begin with will feel severe. Really you only need to slide back a few inches in order to set the rest of your body properly. This will help with #2. This will also flatten out your torso so you're not so hunching over. And yes, one cheek should be plenty until you have corrected some other isues and develop your own personal preference after some seat time.

2. Refer to pic 1 and 3. In pic 1 your hip is open and you are sitting like a frog. Likewise, (note the direction of your pelvis) your upper body is inline with the left side of your windscreen. Whereas in pic 3 your lower body (note the direction of pelvis again) is pointing toward your outside clip-on. This is naturally causing your torso to head in that direction. After addressing point 1 open your inside hip and turn your leg out. This will help to align your upper body.

With the seating corrections, you most likely won't have the ability to stick that outside leg out like a wing anymore. However, if so, I suggest putting it up against the bike to assist you in going back to tuck smoothly. Smooth inputs...mmmm good.

3. The guys who have helped me get faster have a mantra when instructing...try dragging your helmet and not your knee. After a few laps of getting comfortable with the above changes, get your head down as low as you can. No seriously, as low as you can. So yeah, I too say get your head down. Combined with the above changes your torso will be aligned and COG will be lower.

Take my free advice for what you will. Hopefully, you'll try these changes and feel much better on you bike. I know I did. Worse case scenerio is you've wasted a few laps trying to improve your body positioning at a trackday.






These pictures of Stoner is a good illustrationof the alignmenment I try to acheive. Note the direction of his pelvis, Opened up hip in pic 1, and alignment of his torso in pic 2.